Wedding Planning Tips

January 10, 2017

These are a few tips that I’ve learned along the way & I hope they can help you:

• Bride – don’t wear a bra on the morning of your wedding – the straps will leave a mark.
• Groom – arrive at your ceremony venue at least 30 mins before scheduled ceremony time – to greet guests & meet celebrant(s).
• Bride – Don’t be the last in line for makeup and hair. If the schedule slips, you may end up feeling stressed & are less likely to enjoy the morning preps & conversations.
• Allow at least 4hrs (plus travel time) between your ceremony start time & your meal time.
• There will always be last minute guest cancellations – due to illness & child minding issues, so bear that in mind when estimating meal numbers.
• Allow ample time for preparations. The more people that are involved, the more interaction there will be, and the longer everything will take.
• Bride – If the dress has lots of hooks & loops, it will take 20-30 mins to get dressed. Allow time for it!
• Bride – Try & adhere to the time plan that you’ve discussed with your photographer. If you’ve promised to be dressed by 11am, but you’re still having your hair done at that time, chances are you won’t get (all) the shots you wanted.
• If you’d rather not have your wedding images posted to Facebook/Twitter before you’re seated for your meal, think about communicating it to your guests beforehand.
• You’ve invested in professionals on the day, so don’t fret, sit back & let them get on with it.
• Allow time to chat & relax on the morning. So leave gaps between each task. e.g. Her: hair – makeup – getting dressed. Him: showering – car ribbons – getting dressed.
• Remember to Eat! It’s a long time from breakfast until dinner time! So if it’s practical, pack food to have after the ceremony.
• Have realistic expectations about your images. If your venue or house don’t have a sweeping staircase, then you won’t be able to get that shot!
• Consider doing an engagement shoot before the big day. As well as giving you an opportunity to work with your photographer, it will be a practice session for you both & should put you more at ease on your wedding day.
• If you’re having a winter wedding, chances are it will be cold even on a sunny day, so your time outdoors will be limited.
• It’s okay to be emotional. A lot of energy has gone into planning this day, so expect tears. Allow yourself some time & space.
• Groom – wearing a suit of your own or a well-tailored & fitted suit looks very smart & will look great in your images.
• Groom – remind your best man to take possession & care of the rings!